


I'll Be Home

by thepilot



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bodhi is a Prince, From the Prince and the Captain AU, M/M, Original Character(s), Original Holiday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 23:25:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13110720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepilot/pseuds/thepilot
Summary: This is meant to be a continuation of the Prince and the Captain, but you absolutely don't need to have read that to understand.Cassian is sent away on a mission, and Bodhi wonders if he'll be back in time to help celebrate a Jedhan Holiday.Angst with a happy, smutty ending.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the SniperPilot WInter Prompts:  
> Interfaith holiday celebrations! (Comparing winter/holiday traditions and sharing them with another)  
> You’re always home for the [Non-Denominational Space Holiday] / [Our Anniversary] / [The Annual Watching of the Star Wars Holiday Special, Space-Time-Continuum Be Damned] we celebrate together. This year you were sent away on a mission and I don’t know if you’ll make it home… 
> 
> I tried to go softer with the smut and imply more, because this relationship is on the softer side.  
> I did my best to be accurate with locations/terms, but if I did something wrong, please correct me.

“I’m continually amazed at your technical skills, your Highness,” Myles said, handing Bodhi a wrench. They’d been working on the V-4XD all day, or at least, Bodhi had been. Bodhi was glad to have the company of the young Twi’lek, but now, several days since Cassian had left on an urgent mission, Myles’ presence was a bit tiring.

 “Just because I’m a Prince doesn’t mean I can’t also know a thing or two about mechanics, Myles,” Bodhi said with a smile and shrug before wiggling himself back under the air speeder.

“I know, I know. But you’re just so useful!” Myles gestured widely, his blue lekku wiggling..

“Better to be useful than useless.”

Myles watched in silence just a few moments before talking once more; silence with Myles didn’t usually last.

“Tell me again about this thing you celebrate? The thing from Jedha? It’s tomorrow?”

Bodhi sighed, and thought of how best to answer the question in the most understandable and condensed description. “Yes. It’s called ‘Wildma.’ And it’s tomorrow. It’s a day we celebrate each year to honor the founder of the Kyber Temple and writer of the Journal of the Whills. Or at least, it was. A long, long time ago, there was a shaman who came to Jedha. He discovered and taught many things about life and the Jedi, and the original Jedhan tradition was to honor him every year with songs and poems. But it since evolved into sharing songs and poems with one another. When I was a child, we used to go to the temple and give prayers to that shaman and the current Guardians of the Whills, and after we’d open our palace to everyone and offer meals. Each person would compose one song or one poem in preparation of the day. And then they would recite whatever it was while everyone ate, but we’d choose someone in our family or someone we cared deeply for and spoke of our praises for them. But when the Empire invaded and started stripping the Temple, the best we could manage at the Palace was smuggling out food to those in need, and gathering in our great hall and trying to share each other’s love. Survival, hope and togetherness became the meaning of the day.”

Myles nodded. “The Empire is taking everything from everyone, and we can only help out as best we can. I mean, Ryloth isn’t want it used to be, with the Empire invading and General Syndulla trying to overthrow them. That’s why I left: to try and fight the Empire beyond my own planet.”

“We’re all fighting them...” Bodhi sighed. “Myles, what time is it? It must be getting pretty late. I promised I’d take care of laundry before I went to bed.”

“It is getting pretty late. Shit, I should probably go. Adan is a light sleeper. Can I help you with anything tomorrow, your Highness? There’s not really any poor or hungry people here…well, poor and hungry is a relative term. We’d all like to eat something other than rations for once…”

Bodhi chuckled. “Well, I was just going to see if anyone needed anything tomorrow. But I could use the company…until…until…”

“I understand. I wouldn’t want to be alone either. Goodnight, Prince, I’ll find you tomorrow,” Myles said, waving as he ran out of the cavernous hangar, his blue lekku swishing behind.

“Goodnight, Myles,” Bodhi called after him. He piled all of his tools in his toolbox and, looking at his comm, realized it was much later than he thought.

Ever since he and Cassian had journeyed out to Crait, Bodhi had insisted on helping make meals, taking care of laundry, restocking whatever supplies were necessary, anything that didn’t necessarily need to take up a droid. Bodhi thought it best to relocate and assign the droids to other things he knew he could take care of. The Palace on Jedha was not full of many service droids, so it was not a type of life Bodhi was used to. It had taken some convincing, but Bodhi had gotten his way. He didn’t find attending meetings and conversing with other diplomats and commanders as satisfying as cooking a meal. Now he’d managed to find himself keeping up maintenance on the ski speeders that were so frequently used.

Cassian, on the other hand, when not by Bodhi’s side and “advising him” as had the role been that he agreed to before they left Jedha, had taken up a more strategic planning position. He was constantly in the war room discussing tactics and communicating with other bases and outposts about missions, battles, attacks, etc. Several weeks ago, though, he’d been sent out on an intelligence mission Bodhi was quite certain he should’ve returned from by now.

Bodhi dawdled out of the hangar and made his way down one of the hallways to the small laundry room. The Rebels weren’t used to regular laundry just yet, having only had it done when there was a droid they could allocate to it, and it seemed they were still holding off on bringing things until it was absolutely necessary. If Bodhi timed the laundry out just right, he’d have time to make it up to the communications room to check on Cassian’s ETA once more before folding the laundry and going to bed.

He threw the load into the wash and set all the necessary washing and drying buttons and found that he was not alone. Bodhi smiled broadly.

“Hello, there. This is an unexpected surprise. I thought for sure you didn’t like me anymore,” Bodhi said as he crouched down to let the vulptex sniff his hand before she nuzzled her nose against him. “Looks like it’s just you and me again tonight, Ayati.” The crystalline fox wagged her tail frantically and led Bodhi out of the laundry room. “I’ve just got one thing to check on, and then I’ll feed you. Alright?” The vulptex stopped and sat down, then lay down, whimpering. “I know, I know, I miss him, too. But he’ll be back soon,” Bodhi said, crouching down to pat the creature on its nose. “I hope…” Bodhi added with a mumble.

Ayati followed Bodhi up to the smaller communications room, but they were halted half-way by a young lieutenant who was running towards them.

“Your Highness…I was just coming to find you…” he said, panting and bending over to catch his breath.

“Lieutenant Liagri…you seem distressed. Is there something wrong?” Bodhi could feel a lump rising in his throat.

“It’s Captain Andor. We recovered a transmission from him, but it’s dated from several days ago. And, well, just…you should come with me…” Liagri said, looking anywhere but in Bodhi’s eyes. Bodhi followed the lieutenant, doing his best to square his shoulders and stay positive. Ayati walked by his side, occasionally butting her head against his hanging hand.

As Bodhi entered the control room, he could instantly feel the somber attitude in the air. “General Davout, I hear you have you received word of Captain Andor?”

The older gentlemen smiled sadly. “I’m afraid I have, and I am afraid it is not good news, your Highness. One of our scouts found a heavily bombarded A-Wing on Mirial, and found amongst the wreckage a holodisc. It was recovered and played, and sent through to us.”

Bodhi looked at General Davout with a quizzical look. “And this message? It is from Captain Andor? It was his A-Wing? How did he end up on Mirial?”

The General shook his head, his shoulder-length peppered gray hair swishing from side to side. “We’re not sure, your Highness. But I would like to play the message for you, if you are prepared.”

“No one is ever prepared to witness their loved one’s last words, General,” Bodhi said softly. Ayati growled. The general glanced at her briefly, then led Bodhi over to one of the transmission systems, as Lieutenant Liagri rushed over to flick on the holo projector.

Bodhi gulped, but tried to square his shoulders once more. A small transparent figure of Cassian hunched over and clutching a wound on his shoulder looked up into his own recording device. The holo and voice was full of static. “This is Captain Andor. I have exhausted all energy outputs, and am making this last effort to try and get a message recorded. If anyone is seeing this, I’ve found activity here on Mirial. I tracked a lone Imperial scout droid, and found a small weapons facility. I got as close as I could, but I was discovered. I made it back to my ship and tried to flee, but they were too quick. I was able to make a successful crash landing, but they have me surrounded. I’m not sure how much time I have left, but it is important that we get operatives here to shut down this facility.”

Cassian paused and looked over his shoulder, then back at the recording device. “And please, if you can get this message to Prince Bodhi of Jedha...” Something shook Cassian’s ship and he looked panicked. “I love you, my Prince. I’ll return to you, I swear. I won’t give up ho-“ and then the message flickered out.

The room was silent. It was Bodhi who spoke first.

“I assume we have already made arrangements to send troops out to Mirial to shut down this weapon’s facility?”

The General gave him a shocked look. “Y-yes, your Highness. One of our larger outposts has already gathered a team to investigate Mirial. We should be receiving word of this mission within a few days.”

“That is good news, then. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to assist this operation,” Bodhi said, turning and leaving the room without another word or glance, Ayati trotting behind. Bodhi made it a considerable distance before hot tears started stinging his eyes, but he kept his head up.

The Prince returned to the laundry room and was relieved to see that the loads he had put in the large laundry system were done. He started pulling out the dried laundry with sharp and heated movements. With each folded garment his vision grew cloudier with tears, and it was soon impossible to hold back any more. He collapsed to the ground atop unfolded laundry as his crying consumed him. The random bed linens and towels were little comfort as he wrapped his arms around them as if they were a body. Ayati whimpered and nudged his foot, and Bodhi released the laundry to pull close the crystalline creature, finding it difficult to cuddle something so hard and sharp, but at the same time finding her living, breathing presence a comfort.


	2. Chapter 2

Three years after Cassian’s death, and the day before Wildma, found Bodhi frantically saving refugees from Jaguada. Bodhi and Myles had been on their way back to Crait when they’d received a frantic message from citizens trying desperately to flee the planet, and they’d taken a gamble and decided to try and save as many of them as they could. Bodhi was in the cockpit while Myles was helping pull the refugees onto the ship, the humid air seeping in with the bodies. They were past max capacity, but one more refugee slipped through the closing boarding ramp just as Bodhi was pulling away. Looking back, Bodhi could see that there was barely any room to move, let alone breathe, and he just hoped that they made it back to Crait in one piece. Bodhi had expected everyone to be silent, but it seemed everyone was talking excitedly. Myles swam his way to the cockpit, panting and sweating.

“I almost pushed that last one off! He’s crazy, talking so fast in another language I don’t recognize. I had to stun him. I just hope he doesn’t wake up before we’re back.”

Bodhi took a glance back as they sped up into the planet’s atmosphere. There were probably 20 bodies crammed onto the ship, men, women and children of all species: it was up to him and Myles now to really save them.

“If he’s too much trouble we’ll restrain him. I’m ready to make the jump to hyper-drive, Lieutenant.”

“Roger, Captain Rook.”

Bodhi pulled the hyper drive lever down, surrounding them in linear stars as the ship flew past.

“That almost seemed too easy. Do you think they’ve sent someone after us?” Myles asked with much concern.

Bodhi shook his head. “I doubt it. Taking on refugees is not something they’re going to be concerned about. There are far more concerning things we could’ve been doing.”

“I guess that’s true…”

The ship zoomed on through hyperspace for a time, and the refugees eventually quieted down. When they pulled out of hyperspace, though, there was a renewed commotion.

“I think they’re finally realizing their free,” Bodhi said, a large grin spread across his face.

“I think so!” Myles said with an equally large smile.

As they neared the outpost, they radioed in tell General Davout the success of their impromptu mission, and saw the barrier rising to admit them. They landed with the familiar flurry of salt crystals swirling in behind them as the barrier dropped down. Bodhi remained at the back of the crowd as Myles swam his way once more to the lowering boarding ramp. Med droids and other troopers were waiting to help the refugees and get them proper care and attention, and as soon as the first passengers exited the U-Wing, they were met with smiles. Even the crazed last minute ship jumper, who had clearly awoken, was immediately thrust into the care of one of the med droids with an awaiting stretcher. For Bodhi, this was the best way to spend the anniversary of Cassian’s death, and the best way to celebrate Wildma.

Myles returned to the ship to help Bodhi collect all of their things, the refugees having all been taken care of, and it was clear from his movements he was not just excited to be back home, but excited to have done something so significant.

“We’ve done a lot of things these past few years, but saving those people has by far been the best yet!”

An exuberant laugh escaped Bodhi at the Twi’lek’s enthusiasm. “I agree. Seeing their faces when the boarding ramp opened was special.”

Myles shouldered his bag and walked with Bodhi down the boarding ramp, pulling Bodhi into an unexpected hug at the bottom. “Happy Wildma, Captain Rook,” he said sweetly. Bodhi was taken aback, but smiled. “You remembered, Lieutenant Tendoora! Happy Wildma to you too, Myles.” They broke apart, and Bodhi wiped at the tears that were in his eyes. Myles patted Bodhi’s shoulder then took off out of the hangar. Bodhi walked with a renewed vigor in his step, but heard a clinking noise that made him stop.

Ayati was running towards him, her crystalline fur pinging against itself. She jumped up on Bodhi, nearly knocking him over. “Whoa girl! I’m glad to see you, too! We brought some new friends for you.” Ayati started tugging at Bodhi’s cuff and growling as she tried to pull him forward. “What’s gotten into you? What are you doing?” Bodhi decided to be led by Ayati, and as strange as her behavior was, he wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with it: back when Cassian had still been alive, she frequently did this when he returned and wanted to take Bodhi to him.

The vulptex led Bodhi to the med bay, where every bed and each cot was filled with a body. Bodhi felt relieved to see that no one was actually lying down in the bed with the exception of one patient who seemed to be pitching a fit.

Med droids and troopers alike seemed to be struggling to restrain a scruffy man with tattered clothing. It was hard to make out his face from the full beard and long scraggly hair that hung down to his shoulders. Ayati was still pulling at Bodhi’s cuff and to add to the chaos, was now screeching. One of the troopers trying to restrain the man called out to Bodhi.

“Captain! Maybe you can make sense of this man!”

“I’ll try!” Bodhi shouted over the commotion. As he approached the bed, the man saw Bodhi and made a desperate lunge at him, falling out of the bed and into Bodhi’s arms as the troopers tried to pull him back. His arms were like vices around Bodhi, and he shook violently. It was easy to tell from this contact that the man was nothing but skin and bones, his whole body reeking and his speech frantic.

“ _Cariño… cariño…mi amor…mi_ _Príncipe…mi Príncipe…_ ” the man mumbled into Bodhi’s shoulder as he rubbed his back and breathed him in. Bodhi froze, and realized Ayati had stopped her yelping and was rubbing her nose against this man’s leg.

“It can’t be…” Bodhi muttered in disbelief, as he tried to pull his face away from the man long enough to look at his face clearer. A pair of deep brown eyes with tears leaving a clean trail down a dirt streaked face looked back at Bodhi. Tears started brimming Bodhi’s eyes as he brought his hands up to smooth the hair down around the man’s face. The man brought a finger up to tilt Bodhi’s chin up, and the distance between their mouths was closed in mutual breaths sucked in. It was a deep, tender kiss, emphasized by their hands gently cupping one another’s face as the entire med bay had seemed to go completely silent. It wasn’t until Ayati let out a yelp that they broke apart.

“Oh girl, I missed you, too!” Cassian said as he bent down to give the fox a kiss on the nose. Ayati let out another contented yelp and started wagging her tail so fast it seemed like it would fall off. Bodhi was only mildly aware of everyone starring at them, the med droids and troopers looking ready to pounce on Cassian at any moment.

“I…I don’t understand. How…how…” was all Bodhi was able to say through sobs as Cassian sat down on the bed, pulling Bodhi to stand between his legs as he wrapped his arms around him. “I’ll tell you everything while they exam me. Because you better not be leaving my side, Bodhi,” Cassian said as he cupped Bodhi’s cheek.

Bodhi laughed as he wiped tears away. His heart was singing out, and he knew if ever there was a way to sing praise and love of someone, it was with a heart full of song. This was the best Wildma he’d ever celebrated. “Same goes for you!” He embraced Cassian, pulling his head to his chest as he kissed the top of his head. “It’s actually _Captain_ , now.” Cassian pulled his head away to look at Bodhi with one eyebrow raised.

“ _Really?_ Well, you’ll always be _my_ Prince.”


	3. Postlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this is the smut.

Cassian stood with his arms folded and his foot tapping on the tiled floor, the water splashing over his head and running down his body as he watched Bodhi undress.

“Any time now, _your Highness_ ,” Cassian said in a mock-annoyed tone.

Bodhi threw off his robe and danced over to Cassian, stopping just before he was near the water, rubbing his shoulders.

“It’s c-c-c-cold! Getting _in_ the fresher is always the worst!” he exclaimed, his teeth chattering.

“We’ll warm up fast. I haven’t taken a proper shower in years, and I plan to make this one count.” Cassian reached out a hand and pulled Bodhi in close, Bodhi purring into the water. Bodhi ran a hand across Cassian’s now smooth face and through his long hair. He could already tell that whatever it is they were going to do, they were both ready. After several moments of blissful touch, Bodhi took up the shampoo bottle and stood behind Cassian to lather up his hair. He massaged his scalp, earning him some delighted moans, and ran his fingers through to wash the soap out.

“Are you going to keep it long?”

“Mmmm?” Cassian asked, already seeming to be lost.

“Your hair. I like it this long on you,” Bodhi said manner-of-factly. Cassian let out a deep moan and Bodhi peeped over his shoulder.

“What? No! You can’t…” Bodhi was cut-off by Cassian twirling around and lifting one of Bodhi’s legs up to rest his bent leg against the crook of his elbow and pinning him up against the side of the stall, a small bottle of lube in his free hand.

“You stole that from the med bay, didn’t you? Is that why you were so anxious when they released you?”

Cassian started kissing and sucking Bodhi’s collarbone, giving all the response he needed to. Bodhi shivered into the touch, maneuvering his hand to the small bottle and opening it, then to Cassian and then to himself. Cassian groaned out as he was stroked, and Bodhi gasped as he penetrated himself with his finger, his mind not only struggling to grasp at what was happening, but that it was happening at all. Bodhi let go of Cassian and helped guide his hand to the lube, then to himself to help him work open. The stimulation sent a shudder through Bodhi, and he gasped as Cassian removed one finger to replace it with a second. The warm water poured over them, making the moment all the more tranquil as they kissed intermittently, their eyes shut to the water. Bodhi breathed out a “yes” as he worked in tandem with Cassian, knowing he was ready.

They removed their fingers and Bodhi grabbed onto Cassian’s shoulders as he positioned himself, lifting Bodhi’s leg a bit higher so that he could have the best angle. They both groaned into one another as Cassian worked up a slow, steady rhythm. Bodhi wasn’t sure if he’d somehow died, as he was quite sure that this was the afterlife. The water passed over them as Cassian rocked into Bodhi, their breathing heavy and frequently interrupted by a deep moan. They came at the same time, the aftershocks still coursing through Bodhi several moments after. As Cassian pulled out and dropped Bodhi’s leg, they kissed, slowly, gently, their eyes still closed to avoid the running water.

A sudden yipping caused them both to jump, and they broke apart with grins.

“I didn’t feed her before we got in the fresher. Did you?”

Bodhi laughed. “No. And to be honest, I don’t know how long we’ve been in here. By my estimates, it’s been at least 8 days.”

“We better feed her then, your Highness,” Cassian chuckled as he shut off the water.

Bodhi started wringing out his hair and was shivering once more. “S-s-s-see? Now I’m c-c-c-cold again!” Cassian wrapped a towel around Bodhi and rubbed his shoulders.

“We’ll feed Ayati, then warm ourselves up?”

“Y-y-y-yes, C-c-c-cassian,” Bodhi chattered.

Cassian laughed again as he pulled Bodhi into a tight embrace.

“How did you manage three years without me?” he asked as he rubbed Bodhi’s wet head.

Bodhi stopped shivering, then looked at Cassian, an innocent look spread across his face.

“I may be…over dramatizing the temperature?” Cassian scooped up Bodhi in his arms with a laugh and carried him out of the fresher, not surprisingly finding Ayati jumping excitedly. Bodhi was deposited on their bed with a kiss to the forehead.

“I’ll keep you warm and safe, my Prince. And I will always come home.”


End file.
